Concerned Alumni stop donating to Universities that inhibit freedom of speech on Canadian Campuses
Some Student Associations are trying to muzzle open debate on abortion. If you are an Alumni who donates to your Alma Mata, stop giving money to universities that are muzzling free debate about abortion and tell them why.
As an Alumuni of the University of Ottawa (BCOM 2000, Magna Cum Laude) and a former part time student at Carleton University, I am watching Universities train students how to oppress free speech. Here I have begun to document the infractions. If you know of any oppression of prolife voices on campuses, feel free to send them here, as mounting evidence that Universities in Canada are quickly loosing touch with the processes of free and democratic society.
Contact the Alumni Association, the Student Union, and the President of the University. Tell them why you are stopping donating to your university. It will make a difference!
University of Calgary
Call Issued for Alumni to Cut Funding to U of Calgary over Pro-Life Trespassing Fiasco
From LifeSitenews.com
By John-Henry Westen
CALGARY, February 6, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The announcement that the University of Calgary has charged a number of pro-life students with trespassing on their own campus for displaying graphic pro-life signs has caused a stir even among those who do not consider themselves pro-life. Free speech advocates have condemned the decision, professors at the university have slammed it and, now, alumni have been called to halt their financial support for the institution.
Famed free-speech advocate Ezra Levant, himself a graduate of the University of Calgary, has encouraged his fellow alumni to launch “a boycott on donations” to the University. Levant called the University’s move “an embarrassment to all Calgarians and all alumni of the University of Calgary.” He remarked that “the U of C's police harassment (sic) of its students is a planned, thoughtful, strategic assault on freedom of speech, academic freedom, and the very nature of universities.”
He called it “appalling” and “un-Canadian,” that the “city's university sends cops after young women to bully them into ceasing their political discussions.”
The University, he said, "should lose endowments. They should lose grants. They should lose donations from thousands of alumni. Not just from pro-life alumni – though it should lose all of those. But from anyone who believes that a university is a place where different ideas can duke it out, and the best wins."
The Canadian Constitution Foundation told the National Post that “using the trespass legislation to suppress one viewpoint is a gross misuse of what that legislation is all about.” The Post also reported that several professors at the University have criticized the Administration’s actions. "This shows that senior administration has really lost touch with the purpose of a university, which is precisely to discuss questions that members of the public find difficult to consider," said University of Calgary political scientist Barry Cooper.
Levant concluded, “This is not a pro-life vs. pro-choice discussion. That's irrelevant. This heavy-handed bullying by the U of C would be appalling no matter which side of the debate was being squashed. I think that any pro-life alumni should be extra angry that the university is officially gagging one side of that debate. But any pro-choicer who believes in freedom of speech should be disgusted with their alma mater, too.”
Leah Hallman, the president of Campus Pro-Life, said she was thankful for the support and had this message for pro-life Canadians: “I would like to encourage all Canadians to be a voice for the unborn and to stand up in the face of persecution.”
Campus Pro-Life also said they would appreciate any donations to help with legal fees. Hallman told LifeSiteNews.com, “I suggest that alumni who are currently donating to the University of Calgary withdraw their support, and use this money to donate to Campus Pro-Life [cheques can be made payable to ‘Campus Pro-Life’ and mailed to the address below] or another pro-life organization.”
Campus Pro-Life
PO Box 84065
Calgary AB
T3A 5C4
See Levant’s blog online here:
http://www.ezralevant.com/
York University
- First, email Joseph Brean of the National Post who wrote this article and thank him for his work. Reinforce that this is an important issue that the media must pay attention to. Joseph Brean: jbrean@nationalpost.com
- Second, send a letter to the editor of the National Post responding to the article. http://www.nationalpost.com/contact/letters.html?name=Letters&subject=Letter+to+the+editor
- Third, email Robert J. Tiffin, York's vice-president who has publicly disagreed with what is happening. He needs to know his stance is supported and that we (well-reasoned people who happen to be prolifers) feel strongly that he should exert his power over the YFS who are showing clearly discriminatory actions against a group of students.
Robert J. Tiffin rjtiffin@yorku.ca
http://www.yorku.ca/vpaweb/directory/findadm.php?id=4001 - Fourth, express your concern for freedom of speech at York U and the discriminatory actions taken by a student union who is supposed to represent all student, despite personal beliefs.
YFS President: Hamid Osman president@yfs.ca
YFS Vice President External: Gilary Massa vpexternal@yfs.ca
http://www.yfs.ca/index.php?section_id=150
York Alumni Office
York Alumni Office Phone: 416-650-8159 |
September - May 8:30am-4:30pm, Mon.-Fri. June - August 8:30am-4:30pm, Mon.-Thurs. 8:30am-3:30pm, Fri. Data request form for internal University clients and partners. |
|
| Name | Phone | ||
| James Allan Director, Alumni |
416-736-2100 x22358 | jallan@yorku.ca | |
| Jeff Ball Manager, Internal Relations |
416-736-2100 x22359 | jball@yorku.ca | |
| Mark Benincasa Data Analyst, Alumni and Advancement Services |
416-736-2100 x20488 | benincm@yorku.ca | |
| Jonathan Dolphin Alumni Information Officer |
416-736-2100 x20212 | dolphinj@yorku.ca | |
| Sean Donaldson Manager, Alumni Research and Analytics |
416-736-2100 x20966 | dsean@yorku.ca | |
| Yumi Hotta Work Study Student |
416-736-2100 x33322 | workstud@yorku.ca | |
| Christiana Labi Budget Assistant |
416-736-2100 x22357 | clabi@yorku.ca | |
| Carrie Liu Alumni Assistant |
416-736-2100 x33750 | wanliu@yorku.ca | |
| Richelle Matas (BA Hons. '02) Alumni Events Coordinator |
416-736-2100 x21008 | matas@yorku.ca | |
| Melanie McLean Manager, Alumni Affinity & Business Services |
416-736-2100 x22360 | mcleanm@yorku.ca | |
| Lindsay Reid (MBA '98) Manager, Alumni Stewardship |
416-736-2100 x33732 | reidl@yorku.ca | |
| Connie Tomaso-Romano Administrative Assistant |
416-736-2100 x20358 | ctromano@yorku.ca |
Carleton University
December 5, 2006, CUSA voted 26-6-1-1 (26 in favour, 6 against, 1 abstaining, 1 absent) of becoming officially a "pro-choice" body, and removing any of the associations support from all actions it claimed were "anti-choice", drawing critical reactions not only from anti-abortion groups, but from some campus groups, such as the Carleton University Debating Society, that claimed CUSA was stifling open debate. If you are an Alumni of Carleton, and you believe this is wrong, then stop donation to the school and tell them why.
Carleton University Student's Union http://www.cusaonline.com/club_contact.html
Carleton University Alumni Association. Contact the Carleton University Alumni Association at cu_proud@carleton.ca.
The Canadian Federation of Students
I’m am an alumni of Ottawa University, BCOM, Magna Cum Laude, class of 2000. The Canadian Federation of Students has taken a stand against pro-life clubs - by banning them from CFS campuses. This group of individuals is abusing its power by deciding which points of view can exist on the university campus. This decision is expecially disturbing, as it demonstrates:
- The CFS does not want women to be fully informed - "choice" rhetoric is being used to marginalize women across the country.
- The CFS does not tolerate differing viewpoints - this is totalitarianism.
- The CFS has made a sweeping motion that do not represent all CFS students - this demonstrates a lack of transparency, and that the CFS accepts a dogma of dictatorship.
Please call and/or email your concerns:
Telephone: (613) 232-7394
E-mail: web@cfs-fcee.ca
Canadian Federation of Students National Office
170 Metcalfe St., Suite 500
Ottawa, Ontario
K2P 1P3
The Liberal Press defends the rights of Prolife groups
Muzzling a debate is interfering with a woman’s right to make an informed choice. Regarding the muzzling of debate on abortion, even the national Gay paper, XTRA recently had commentary from a “Pro-choice” lesbian called “Fresh face, old fight”, Apr. 23, 2008
“…At both Carleton and York University, student politicians recently discussed banning or yanking funds away from anti-choice groups that tried to organize events on campus. While I am sure the students were well-intentioned, the fact that they chose to censor a debate, rather than work hard to win it with better facts and more persuasive arguments, signals that we need some intergenerational information sharing – pronto…”
It is clear that the student union is completely inconsistent even with the most liberal approaches to diversity. This is not an issue about where each of us stands on the unborn, which every scientist on the planet acknowledges as human, and 95% of aborted unborn have a beating heart. It is an issue about free speech which is being violated.
David MacDonald
David is a member of "Silent no More" and participated in a ground breaking event in Canada where 14 mothers and fathers of aborted children gave their testimonies in front of Canada's Parliament for thousands of people. He shared the stage with Fr. Frank Pavone director of Priests for Life at Rose Dinner in Ottawa. He has toured Poland, Guatemala, Guam (Southeast Asia), Germany, Canada and into the US giving his testimony and sharing his music.